You’re probably aware of it by now, but Carlo Ancelotti has left Everton to sign up for a second term at Real Madrid, and that could inadvertently spoil things for Manchester United.
In something of a wild 24 hours yesterday, the Italian went from being in it for the long-term at Everton to saying his goodbyes and forgetting everything he’d said about the Super League and Madrid in the past to head back to the Bernabeu.
It was a shock move to say the least, certainly one that’s left Everton reeling, and now everyone is left wondering what comes next.
With Real Madrid’s finances in the pits, big signings seem unlikely at the Bernabeu, so what will the situation be like in this transfer window?
That remains to be seen, and it won’t stop the speculation anyway. Corriere Dello Sport kick things off today with an obligatory story about Cristiano Ronaldo and how Ancelotti could ruin Manchester United’s plans for him.
Ronaldo is looking like he could leave Juventus this summer, and a return to Madrid had been extremely unlikely, with the Portuguese star receiving only ‘coldness’ from his former employers.
Ancelotti’s return does not automatically mean that will change, but ‘the hypothesis is back in play’ for the Spanish giants.
That’s because Ancelotti is a big fan of Ronaldo, and the striker enjoys a superb relationship with the manager for whom he scored 112 goals in 110 games during the Italian’s first time in charge at the club.
That suddenly makes a return a possibility, although Ronaldo is currently focused on other things, such as the opening of his hotel in Madrid and the Euros.
Jorge Mendes, meanwhile, is working to understand what his star man’s future will be, with a stay at Juventus still on the table, but other options such as Manchester United are there too.
They could welcome Ronaldo back, perhaps as part of a sensational swap deal for Paul Pogba, while PSG are another club that could come calling.
And now there is Real Madrid as a possibility too, with Ancelotti’s swift Everton departure opening the door to that, giving Ronaldo an option he didn’t have yesterday morning and Manchester United competition they thought wouldn’t be there either.
